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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · firm · stand · key · hand · chair · prune · current

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — the most important part
  17. current — electric
  18. firm — decided
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com